In recent months Fujifilm has added new brands to its product portfolio. Last year Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems division was integrated into the Graphic Communication Business Division and this year they plan to continue with new launches. On the eve of the next edition of Graphispag, we spoke to Joan Casas, Manager Graphic Communication at Fujifilm Spain, about the current situation in the sector, the brand’s new products and its participation in the show.
How do you see the graphics printing sector in Spain?
The graphics sector in Spain is going through a period of great change and the situation of each market segment is very different. Fujifilm has seen that all segments are undergoing a specific digitisation process, combining analogue and digital productions. One gives them very low unit printing costs, the other versatility, quality and individuality at perfectly affordable costs.
We can say that the sector is emerging from the situation we have experienced as a result of the pandemic. It is a time of technological change and great challenges.
What does the Graphics Systems Division cover?
Our former Busines Domain Graphic Systems, now with the integration of the Fujifilm Business Innovation portfolio, has been renamed Graphic Communication. The following products have been generated as a result of this integration:
- Revoria 1120c family with Micro Toner printing with up to 9 colours: CMYK, white, Varnish, Gold, Silver and textures
- Revoria E1 Monochrome family, up to 135 ppm, with very high print quality and the same finishing options as the Revoria 1120c
This year we will be launching new products in the Spanish market that will enable us to enter new printing and production segments. We will implement progressively, both in terms of portfolios and market segments.
Revoria has been incorporated into the new structure of the Graphic Systems area. What is the differential value of the new brand?
The addition of Revoria to our portfolio enables us to provide digital printing solutions in all major technologies currently available: Revoria with Micro-toner, Jet Press with Water-based inkjet and Acuity with UV and UV-Led.
We are one of the only companies in the world that can offer concrete solutions with specific technologies for each market segment: commercial printing, packaging, large format, communication and so on.
What role does R&D play in a brand like Fujifilm?
At Fujifilm, we spend 6.8% of our annual turnover on R&D. This makes us a major global company providing digital and analogue solutions for the photographic printing market (Imaging), for the medical area (Healthcare), for the industrial printing area (GraphicCommunication), and for a number of industrial areas such as water filtration, information storage, structural analysis, etc. In short, we consider ourselves to be a technology company that operates in B2C and B2B environments, with the possibility of reaching B2C2B.
As a supplier of industrial digital printing systems, what do your customers value most?
It depends very much on the type of market segment, but in our case they value our extensive knowledge of analogue printing systems, which gives us the necessary know-how to develop digital printing solutions, according to the main needs of each segment.
Our technologies are always State of the Art and perfectly match analogue printing solutions. In addition, we try to be a reliable partner for our customers, and to support them as much as possible in the implementation of their strategies where printing generates a differential value.
Acuity Prime equipment. Image courtesy of Fujifilm
Will you be presenting anything new at Graphispag?
We will be participating by bringing you major new developments:
- The Revoria family, where it will be seen in full production in both colour and monochrome versions. We will show our new production software and all the finishing elements.
- The Acuity family, which will be seen in production on the Acuity Prime 38, where we will see CMYK printing, with white, Primer, all with UV LED technology. This family will be presented in its entirety at FESPA Berlin in a few days.
- For the packaging segment we will be soft-launching the new Jet Press 790, where flexible packaging can be printed with water-based inks. It is a reel-fed press, 79cm wide, with 50 linear metres of print per minute, which will bring new milestones to the digital flexible food packaging market.
- We will show the entire Flenex family of top quality water washable flexo plates, with its processor, and with an ESKO CDI for which we are the distributor.
In the course of the show we will produce cardboard packaging, both in Revoria and Acuity, where we will integrate the cutting process with the company Kongsberg, for which we also have the distribution. All in all, I think our stand will be full of great solutions for the printing world.
Do you foresee a favourable climate for the sector to meet again in person at a show like Graphispag?
We really think the time is right. In Spain, we need industry meetings with large manufacturers, as they produce synergies that revitalise and develop the printing markets. On the other hand, we see that on a psychological level it is essential that all the markets that come together under Grapispag and Hispack once again physically meet in an environment that helps business development.
They have recently renovated their Barcelona offices. Can you tell us about any future plans for Fujifilm Spain?
Fujifilm’s main plan for the future is to further develop all our businesses in Imaging and HealthCare as well as Graphic Communication in the Spanish market. We will continue to surprise with the ongoing launch of new products and services in all our business areas.
Our new offices have been designed as a place to meet with our partners and customers, with great systems and environments that facilitate communication and meetings. In addition, we have re-launched our product demonstration room, where you will be able to see both the Revoria and Acuity families.
Cristina Benavides, Graphispag partner
